New Delhi: Tightening the rope around yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s neck, the central government has started probing the yoga guru’s multi-crore empire for tax violations relating to more than 200 companies he and his associates are linked to, the ownership of his ashram at Hardwar and use of unrecognized substances in his medicines, a national English daily reported today.

In documents made available, it has been claimed that the plot of land on which Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogapeeth is located is subject to restricted land transfer clauses. The land cannot be sold, registered or transferred except to “mahants” as it was the property of the “Udaseen Akhara”.

The akhara was represented by Mahant Rajendra Das and after his death should have been passed to the next Mahant, Mahendra Das, but was instead sold to Bal Krishna, a close aide of Ramdev. This, sources in the government said, was illegal as papers show the ownership of Mahant Mahendra Das.

The land was incorrectly registered in the name of Bal Krishna and Patanjali Yogapeeth and is being challenged in court.

Product formulations of Patanjali Ayurved with regard to Amla Churan and Shilajeet Rasayan have been rejected on the grounds that either the substance appeared to be a new drug or was not included on a list required by government regulators. The medicinal products of Ramdev’s ashram have been previously attacked by CPM leader Brinda Karat on the grounds that the so-called herbal concoctions had animal parts.

More than 200 firms are seen linked to interests ranging from ayurvedic medicine , construction companies, food parks, broadcasting firms, agriculture products, perfumes, healthcare, bio-research and infrastructure. These firms are now likely to be investigated for cross-holdings and possible irregularities in their finances and tax declarations.

Now that the government has fallen out with the yoga guru with few prospects of reconciliation in the near future, he and associates like Bal Krishna are sure to face some searching questions from tax authorities.